Barnsley FC's young stars show EFL Trophy can have its place in football's bigger picture

What used to be a competition just for clubs in the third and fourth tiers has had its soul ripped out by the introduction of 16 under-21 teams from Premier League clubs.

The names, and winners, played for Manchester United's Under-21s on Tuesday. Tom Heaton, who trained with England as fourth-choice goalkeeper at Euro 2024 was in goal; Tom Collyer, fresh from the Community Shield, wore the captain's armband in midfield alongside Jacob Devaney, son of Barnsley assistant coach Martin.

They came from 2-0 down to win 3-2, Darren Fletcher's son Jack scoring twice.

"It has to be learning experience because football is ruthless,” said Barnsley coach Darrell Clarke. “The challenge to make it in the professional game is very tough. I think this competition is good for giving opportunities but they have to take them.”

But the biggest stories were arguably in Barnsley red.

The League One club's battleplan revolves around developing and selling young talent. John Stones and Mason Holgate are role models, Harry Maguire spent time in their academy too before joining Sheffield United's. Hungary midfielder Callum Styles, bought from Bury as an 18-year-old and likely to soon be sold, probably to West Bromwich Albion, also fits the model.

Mixing them with more experienced signings – most notably new player-coach Conor Hourihane – this summer is not moving away from that policy, but reinforcing it.

Aged 15 years, six months and 27 days, England Under-15 international Oliver Wilkinson became Barnsley's youngest starter.

"He did really well and stood out," Clarke said of the defender. "We’ve got high hopes for him. If he’s good enough, he’s old enough."

This is, after all, the club with the Football League's youngest debutant. Huddersfield-born Reuben Noble-Lazarus was only 45 days past his 15th birthday when he came off the bench in October 2008.

As the first Tamil to play professional football in the UK, Wales-raised Vimal Yoganathan already had his record, pro contract and six cup appearances but on Tuesday the 18-year-old scored his first two goals.

Clarke is hoping the midfielder's run-out as an experimental centre-forward is not a sticking plaster with the transfer window open until August 30.

“Max Watters came off with a tight hamstring on Saturday," he said. "That leaves me down to Marshy (Aiden Marsh, another academy graduate) and Sam Cosgrove.

"We wanted to look at something different. Hopefully we’re not into that much of an emergency situation that we have to do that. Hopefully we get the right players in at the top end.”

Either way, a disappointing night in the immediate term was a positive step forward for Barnsley's bigger picture.

With 18-year-old midfielder Ben Hatton making his Rotherham United debut in a 2-0 win over Mansfield Town, the much-derided Trophy is serving a purpose.